Pak Sahafat – In its latest move to confront China in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States reopened its embassy in the Solomon Islands after 30 years.
According to Pak Sahafat News Agency, the Associated Press news agency wrote: The American embassy in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, will start its work with a charge d’affaires, several employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a small number of local employees.
Previously, the American embassy in the Solomon Islands was active for 5 years until it was closed in 1993 as part of Washington’s move to reduce diplomatic offices after the end of the Cold War.
Associated Press wrote China’s bold action in the Indo-Pacific region has caused the United States to interact with countries in the region in various ways, including donating Covid-19 vaccines, returning peace volunteer groups to some island countries, and investing in Increase forestry and tourism projects.
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US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in a statement: The opening of the US embassy in the Solomon Islands is based on our efforts not only in the field of deploying more diplomatic forces throughout this region, but also more interaction with the countries of the Pacific region and the communication of our programs and resources with Existing needs and communication between people.
The opening of the American embassy in the Solomon Islands has been done while the Prime Minister of Fiji is apparently looking to reconsider some aspects of his country’s interaction with China. Sitiveni Rabuka told The Fiji Times last week that he plans to end the police training and exchange agreement with China.
The Associated Press, quoting a senior official of the US State Department – who asked not to be named – wrote: The Solomon Islands’ commitments to cooperate with its traditional security partners such as Australia and the United States have become an incentive to reopen the embassy in the Solomon Islands, but Washington remains concerned about the secrecy surrounding Honiara’s security agreement with China.
He claimed that any militarization in the Pacific region by China would be very worrying.
The American official noted that his country has not entered into deep negotiations with the new leadership of Fiji, and therefore it is still too early to say whether this action by Washington is a sign of a change in Fiji’s approach towards China or not.
The Associated Press wrote: The Fijian government has refused to immediately respond to this media’s question in this regard.